3 Ways to Raise Your Status at Work

Animals do it. They always know exactly where they stand in the pecking order. Humans do it, we’re just not so aware that we’re giving off subtle signals that either say, “this is my patch…” or “don’t bite, I’m harmless.” If you’ve learned how to take up space, whatever your gender, then you’re probably comfortable putting one or both hands on your hip. In conflict, cat’s and dogs raise their fur and snakes rear up, to appear larger. Now humans don’t need such life and death situations, nor even to be in conflict, to be able to make those shifts in body language that can take command of a room. It is possible to shift your status right now, without waiting for an official promotion.

New research from Harvard Business School shows that knowing how to take up a powerful pose raises your testosterone level, the go-getting hormone, and lowers your cortisol, and therefore stress level. Yes, it’s that simple. If you know how to stand tall, whatever your height, people will be ready to listen to you. Psychology has for years named this the ‘halo effect.’ I’ve found that when I show people how to put an imaginary crown on their head, they discover their inner aristocrat. I watched a petite female lawyer, use this and saw her biosphere grow exponentially; she acquired a definite ‘don’t mess with me,’ vibe, that served her well in a predominantly male office.

Learning how to naturally elongate your spine makes you look more impressive and even possibly younger, because you look like you’re ready for action. Knowing how to breathe down into the belly, that is, the hara/centre of gravity, when in a high stress situation, puts you in touch with the training that makes martial artists succeed, and gives you an aura of calm, centered, unruffled readiness for anything. I’ve had many clients who wanted to increase their presence or gravitas and found that in just one session, they could make a significant difference to the way the world perceives who they are. There is a caveat here; mere posturing will not get you very far. Your best bet is to work with a coach who you trust to bring out your authenticity. Exploring these physical shifts, will bring to the surface those beliefs that contradict our sense of self worth, and this is where another form of valuable personal development starts.

Richard Lawton

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